In my inbox this week are Hank & Hera and their thoughtfully designed sleep and loungewear available in sizes 4 – 34. Yes, you heard that right. It’s a generous size range, and I’ve found them to have plenty of room to move within that range. But I’m getting ahead of myself. In my inbox might be the series, but Hank & Hera isn’t new news to me; I’ve been working with Philippa on their website and emails for a while now. From the start, I had a draft here waiting for me to share the story of this brand with you. What is ‘In My Inbox’ for if not that?
Backstory-wise, I first “met” Pip through her website Sisu and Finn while actively blogging. We worked together on some photos and a post for the blog—in a dress, mind you, that I still wear to this day. You know the one, the navy wrap dress I wore for family photos the other year? And to my brother’s wedding? That dress. But we’ve had poolside adventures together now in some very fine establishments. Once, she took Kel and me on an adventure in Sydney to kill some time before our flights. When internet friends become real-life favourite people, right?
But now, a little more about Hank and Hera from their website:
Hank & Hera was founded by Philippa Giles in 2023 as a frustrated consumer who wanted beautiful garments that did not exist in plus sizes. Through Hank & Hera, Philippa combines an adoration for timeless silhouettes and an unwavering commitment to ensuring that all women have access to impeccably crafted garments to design luxurious, natural fibre sleepwear from size XS to 4XL (AU 4 – 34). Her driving force behind the brand is to create garments that evoke a sense of divine beauty and celebrate all women, of all sizes.
Hank & Hera is proudly designed in Australia. Each garment is meticulously crafted and supported by female-founded businesses. By supporting local professionals and embracing female-owned businesses, we contribute to a legacy of quality craftsmanship and empowerment within our community.
In a busy world with so many time pressures, Hank & Hera believes every woman deserves to indulge in luxury as part of the everyday. Our designs cater to individuals who savour life’s finer pleasures, echoing the sophistication and grace of our namesake, Hera, the Queen of the Gods.
Just like the enduring elegance of our muse, Hera, our range is designed to transcend the latest trends, celebrating lasting style through quality fabrics and classic colours. The range is designed to effortlessly transition from traditional sleepwear to chic ensembles suitable for any occasion, embodying a slow fashion ethos that prioritises longevity and versatility. Whether you’re relaxing at home or heading to brunch, Hank & Hera’s range has been designed with versatility in mind, to add value to the customer.
And then, for Christmas 2024, Philippa gifted me this light, cotton beauty, which is perfection and one of the most beautiful gifts I’ve ever received. It’s an Aurora nightgown (size 3XL), and while I’d never consider myself a girly girl, the femme details and classic style are, somehow, so my style. I love it. I only take it off to put it through the wash and start again. But never fear, and I know you were worried about me. I have theArianna in Navyto wear while that happens. I haven’t reviewed this style yet because I haven’t had a fancy bathroom to take photos of (mine still isn’t renovated, sigh). But I’ll get there. With the pictures and the renovation, of course.
But for now, head to the website to check out the entire range. Use code SUGER10 (linked to my affiliate account) for 10% off your order.
If an item of clothing is going to live in my wardrobe, it had better be versatile. I don’t want any one-trick ponies. After wearing a dress as a top the other day, I thought I’d share more about how. So, this post is about how to take that summer dress you love, and turn it into a top you can wear all year round. No sewing and still keeping it as a dress. I’m about to double your summer dress’s potential. If only I could do so as easily with creepers on the internet. Ah well. Because we all need a bit of assistance in our lives when it comes to maximising your wardrobe. Turning a dress into a top is a great way to get started. So grab that dress, let’s do this thing.
Tuck, it’s all about the tuck.
So when it comes to tucking a dress into your bottoms, its’ easier with a lightweight material that doesn’t add too much bulk. That said, this idea works beautifully with a knit or anything with a cocoon shape.
All I did with the example below was fold it over and tuck the bottom allowing the rest to blouse over. Done and dusted. As you can see from Nat and Jo (also below) they have tucked the front to give a different look. My post from earlier, I simply tucked the entire dress into my denim skirt. Done deal.
This is one that most ladies have in their arsenal. Wearing a dress over some form of pants is the easiest way to maximise your dress collection. Take a summer dress through winter and beyond. I have a slim-fit knit dress that works better over jeans than it does as a dress.
It doesn’t always have to be a shirt dress either. Midi and Maxi dresses totally work as well. I’ve worn maxi dresses over pants, predominately shirt dresses that I leave partially open. Check out the shirt dresses option (last in this post) for more details on how I make that work.
As a have-er of a long torso, bodysuits can be almost impossible for me. So often, I’ll wear my bodycon dresses as a bodysuit. Especially under skirts. Once, I actually wore a bodycon under a tulle skirt to a wedding, when the dancing started later I ditched the tulle and danced the night away.
As if a shirt dress wasn’t already a super versatile item to have in your wardrobe, this is another great way to wear it. Using it as a top or a layering piece is easy and a layering win. Open the buttons and have a skirt or jeans (or anything really) underneath or wear it entirely open has an unstructured trench.
And that, my friends, is how you tackle wearing your dress as a top. Have an experiment with what you have in your wardrobe and let me know how you go. Already a dress as a top expert? Share your best tip with me.
Heading out into the world this week was interesting. It was cool enough for a coat, locally, but still warm enough that you could wear slides. Or, at least, I could. I know, don’t come for me, I’m warm-blooded, what can I say? I ran around doing a few errands, picking up groceries and reminding myself why I hate spending too much time at the shops. We spotted these doors, and despite a large amount of flora growing around it, I decided it was a perfect spot to grab some photos.
Perfect may be a stretch, but we got them anyway – Victory!
Why? Because as far as I’m concerned, you need a long cardigan in your wardrobe no matter the season (see the flashbacks below for proof). It’s an easy throw on with whatever you’re wearing, they come back into style year after year, and a good quality one will last you for a number of those returns, especially if you find a fit that works for you. I love the style like this knit coat, which can be wrapped around the body. But I also love the chunkier knit, throw on cardigan style too, like this one.
And can we talk for a moment about how much my hair just keeps dropping colour!? Haha. Yes, this time it was helped by the ocean, but those blonde ends (from when my hair was blue) are determined to live out their blonde life. BUT. Watch this space, I think I might dig out the leftover pink shampoo I have here and colour my hair. Before my next scheduled appointment to top up the copper, that is. I’m not trying to get myself in trouble with my sister/hairdresser here, it’s the same brand they use in the salon, so I’ve been given the all-clear. Pink hair for a while? Don’t mind if I do. And that, my friends, is that. Have a great week.
I mentioned on Instagram that I was breaking in some new Docs and didn’t know if I could take it. This old girl is so far past wearing anything that makes her uncomfortable; heck, most days I refuse to wear a bra. And those who know know breaking in a new pair of Dr Martens is some next level feet (ankle, heel) pain you can endure. Read the comments on the Instagram post; it’s not a “me thing”. But the other thing we know is that once you wear them in, once the leather gives and you’re through the worst, Docs are soft and wonderful, and you can live your life in them. So, you suffer. And you do it happily for the love of the Docs.
A little while ago, I put this outfit, with a maxi rather than a midi length dress, in one of my casual capsule wardrobe boards. Before the post had even launched, I’d picked up the coat from Cotton On. The fact it was basically summer already, and I wouldn’t be wearing it for a while didn’t bother me. I knew the time would come.
And so, a few months passed. Into my inbox came an offer I couldn’t refuse, and I ordered my newest pair of boots; the Pascal. The reviews said the softer leather would be easier to break (boy, I hope they’re right). And I just loved the extra texture on them. They arrived, and I love them. I mean, I set up an entire scene in my office to snap some photos – obsessed. But after an initial fit test, I put them on the shelf to wait.
My outfit was complete and ready for the very first sight of winter on the horizon. Which came and went while I hid out at home, not really feeling it. When I put together the post about winter trends I’m looking forward to here in AUS, I remembered the coat was in my wardrobe somewhere, and it was time to drag it out. So, after committing to showing up and sharing what I’m wearing more, I put it together on a hanger and waited for my chance.
On an ordinary day, as the sun slid toward the horizon, that husband of mine asked if I wanted to get dressed (casual is kind around here) and grab dinner. Dressed! Actually dressed. Well, yes, sir, I did want to get dressed. So, with a flick of a hanger and some grunts of excursion, I was dressed and ready to go. Boots, check. Jacket, yup. The moment had arrived. And I hobbled into it boldly.
By the time we returned home, my feet were done, my belly was full, and we’d snapped some photos near an industrial shed as the sun dipped. Perfect. Would recommend trying for yourself. Speaking of which, would anyone like to volunteer to wear in my Docs? It pays terribly, but I’m sure the job satisfaction will be all you need, right? HA.
I know what I’m talking about when it comes to plus size clothes for teenagers. How? Well, I’ve been over 5’10” since I was 12. To say that I was a plus-size teen is an understatement. I was tall, large and in varying stages of puppy fat and angst-driven disordered eating between an Australian size 12 to 18 the entire time. I was thinking about that the other weekend when my nieces visited. Tall, slim girls have the issue of length when it comes to buying clothes. They had other issues with fit, but that got me thinking about teenage girls shopping for clothing right now.
The girls, just like me, the plus girls.
When I was a teenager there wasn’t a lot of options shopping wise. I remember losing a bit of weight in my senior years and finding that I could fit back into the mainstream stores who by this stage were regularly stocking a 14/16. What a relief! Bye-bye peasant skirts and men’s board shorts. I do remember once though, in a change-room, when my Mum handed me clothing in a size 14/16 that she mentioned it was as far it as it went, sizing wise. That stuck with me and not because I was upset she pointed this out to me. But because I was not that big of a person. HOW could this be the largest sizes available to women. Why was that even a thing?
Luckily teens have way more options today.
LOTS AND LOTS of options. And while I think you should get your staple items from the excellent Australian online retailers that were in this post or from the brands I listed in my post about minimalist plus size clothing, a teenage girl wants to be fashionable, to wear what her friends are wearing, to be cool. In this post, we’re going to give you some options for where to buy plus size clothes for teenagers; some local and overseas options for the young adult market. Clothes that are more on-trend than wardrobe staples. The sort of clothing that helps a teenage girl fit in with her friends instead of having to wear styles older than she is. Let’s get started, shall we?
Where to buy plus size clothes for teenagers
Torrid
With stores throughout the USA, this brand is established and can be counted on to deliver on-trend basics for reasonable prices. The shopping to Australia can be a killer so subscribe to the newsletter for discounted shipping days or split an order with a friend. A shopping tip: I wear my standard Australian size in their denim and the majority of the range. Check out online reviews for more information. There are plenty!
I love Forever 21+ for modern, on-trend pieces. The pricing of the range puts it on par with the likes of Supre and such in Australia. Postage is reasonably fast and affordable. As a size 22/24, I find I’m at the very top of the size chart and would recommend this store for sizes 20 and below. Recently Australian stores have opened but the pricing isn’t on par with the online store and the range is better online. Shop by the look is another great online feature for those developing their own style. Grab your teenager, sit them down with the page open and let them shop.
A great Australian brand featuring great lifestyle pieces for everyday wear. A personal favourite of mine, but don’t tell the kids. When you want to mix quality denim and easy to wear lifestyle pieces, this is the place I recommend you start. Especially denim, the team specialises in great on-trend fits as well as classic shapes. I’ve found any number of styles make their way into my everyday wardrobe. And the best part? Because they’re made of quality fabrics, they’re going to last better than anything you get at cheap competitors stores.
A new addition to the Cotton On (Typo, rubi, Supre) family is the range of Cotton On clothing in Curve. Stocking sizes 16 – 24 in a range of on-trend items that are both seasonal and affordable, but wearable long after the season is done. You’ll get everything here from Jeans to Swimwear, graphic tees to basic loungewear. If your teen is sick of not being able to wear the same cool, causal clothes as their friends, this is a range you want to check out. Not so bad for us oldies either, I featured a number of these items in my casual capsule wardrobe post.
Don’t be afraid fo the slinky fits or sexy shapes on their Instagram account; I assure you this is a teen-friendly brand. Haha. Find anything from casual dresses, t-shirt, light denim and more at this cheap and cheerful online store. It’s a USA based store, but just switch the currency over to AUD when you arrive and you’ll know where you stand price-wise. I love this shop for casual tees and fun items you just can’t find anywhere else.
My fashion-forward friends in blog world turned me on to Misguided Plus and they were so right. By all accounts, the sizing is generous, especially in the styles designed to be oversized. Check out the charts and online reviews because you may find that you need to size down here on some items and upon others. I like to compare this range to the festival chic styling of Sportsgirl with the added punk you just can’t buy here. Loads of cool items that will raise your fashion game no matter your size.
A larger store with a range of clothing, underwear, sports and activewear, City Chic offers a few ‘in-house’ brands that cater to different styles and they’re always incorporating on-trend pieces that are made of higher-quality materials compared to a lot of the big brands. They have a great range of denim and boots too. All the good stuff.
Shop the new-season City Chic range here.
ASOS Curve
A great one-stop-shop for a range of styles, brands and sizes. Plus, if your teen identifies as a boy, there’s an entire section for plus-size men too! Easily one of my favourite places to shop. When I found ASOS Curve at the beginning of my style journey, it was like the world had changed. I’d never been able to find the clothing that suited my style; in fact, I had no idea what my style really was until I could start to explore it with clothing that fits me. Your teen might just find themselves there too.
A little note about your plus size teen if you’re a parent, guardian or concerned adult-type person. Leave them alone. That’s my hot tip. Live well, be an example and leave them alone. I don’t know if you’ve ever been the fat kid, but when you remind them they’re different, you aren’t telling them anything they didn’t know. I speak from experience. We KNOW we don’t fit in and sometimes that hurts. So be cool, love us and let your ideas about what we ‘should be’ go. And finally, if they’re not that into clothes, that’s okay too. It’s hard to care when you feel like you are constantly being excluded from a conversation.
How do you like your denim? When it comes to plus-sizes I have found it can be hit and miss; some are great, there are quality offerings and then there are the ones that aren’t even denim at all. I like jeans and I wear them sometimes, weather permitting, but what I really want in jeans is comfort, a little bit of give so I can sit down and a whole lot of style.
I don’t care what Gen Z says about Skinny Jeans, you do you. But me? I’ll be living in joggers until a better offer comes along. (I mean, who listens to teenagers anyway, scary little things). Me? I’m team wear what you want, but I switched to joggers ages ago. I’ve been a dedicated skinny jeans wearer; I especially love them with boots. But joggers are so easy to wear, comfortable and dress them up or down; they’re a win. Plus, I have no hips or ass, and skinny jeans spend their life sliding down on me. Don’t tell me I’m in the wrong size or cut, I’ve tried all the things.
Does that happen to anyone else? Or just my flat ass?
(And excuse me, Grammarly, I do mean flat ass, please stop correcting my text to FAT ass; I can have both, thank you. Haha).
There was a time that I was team Boyfriend Jeans, and I’d still recommend trying this fit if you want a straight leg option. These days you’re more likely to find them being called Mum Jeans or something like that (hello, higher waist). Cotton On offer some great options at the lower end of the scale, Embody does a pair to a size 22 (check the sizing chart) if you can make that work. Check out some more options for jeans in this post; I updated it a little while ago, it probably needs doing again but it will get you started.
But for now, and because my head is already out of date in these photos (I died my hair copper, did you see?) enjoy the pics. They’re from last weekend (not our Valentines adventure, but still worth a mention) from my weekend, drinking iced coffee and driving around looking for someone new to go for lunch. And if you’ve been somewhere for a great lunch in the Gympie/Sunshine Coast region lately, let me know. We need some new spots.
I’m not sure I know anyone who is against outfit repeating IRL; it seems like an influencer problem to me. That’s what I said to Ms Katy on her post about normalising outfit repeating. It sounds a little blunt, but you know what I mean. No one cares if you repeat an outfit. It’s sort of like normalising normal to call for the normalisation of outfit repeating. Of course, grown women wear and then re-wear the clothes they buy; it’s not a concern. But, from the responses, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe women who don’t blog feel the same pressures, so let’s talk about that.
Is not repeating an outfit something you worry about?
Me? I’m an outfit repeater. Always have been. I’m happy to wear pieces of clothing I like over and over until the time comes to replace them. Long before I had a blog where people would send me clothing for free, I paid for the clothes that built my style. The ones I loved and the ones I didn’t. The trial and error, trends and whims of fashion (as much as it was available to a fat girl at the time). And after a few years, I came out victorious!
I knew what I liked, and through blogging, often I could choose from new season items for the price of a picture or a blog post. Year after year, my wardrobe would split at the seams with even the carefully selected items. I considered the number of clothes I had reasonable, but compared to what I wear day in and day out, it was out of control.
I’ve talked about it beforetowards the very end of my official fashion blogging career. As someone others looked to when purchasing new items, I would receive frustrated messages from people who couldn’t buy what I was wearing. It was out of season or ever years old, and they would get annoyed at me for it. Sure, I get that. But instead of chasing the new thing, I urged people to build a closet of essentials they loved and be mindful of what they bought one season to another.
Outfit repeaters; I was building out and proud outfit repeaters.
I came to hate the waste of bundles of clothing that arrived for no other reason than to show me what was new. The PR emails from brands selling $10 t-shirts made under questionable circumstances. The demands from businesses who considered what I did to be so essential but somehow worth nothing. The pressure and demands of having or sharing what’s new or next. I’ve been part of it all.
Why? Well, new content is the beast that needs to be fed—having new clothes and photos, not repeating an outfit, for the sake of a blog or Instagram. And I started to say yes to whatever came my way to make it work. It’s something that I see happening to this day. What can you do when you post something new to your blog/Instagram every day of the week? Something has to give in the name content.
But it’s not real.
Step outside of that loop, and there are a few special occasions where people may feel they NEED new clothes. Want them, more likely. But then they get on with their lives. They are working with what they have, mixing and matches between pieces that would never all be the new season (unless a change in body or circumstance required it). I’m sure while there are times when you feel like you just can’t wear this old thing again, that you love the items you have and chose for yourself.
Especially as a plus-size customer. I know a lot of us who tend to keep special occasion dresses or outfit because finding something to wear when a big event is on can be impossible. For my brother’s wedding, I wore something that I’ve had for a while now. It worked, and not once did I give it a second thought; I liked it, I hadn’t found anything else I wanted to wear. Who was to know this wasn’t the first time I wore it. And I’ll tell you now, I will never let this dress go and there will never be a time that I wouldn’t wear it again happily.
I would hazard a guess that most of you reading this are outfit repeaters; happily, proudly and without considering it taboo. Good! That’s exactly what I want to hear. You know why? Because no one cares if you’re an outfit repeater. We all are, that’s the reality of having and owning clothing, of consuming responsibly and spending your money thoughtfully. The people I’m worried about are the ones who aren’t; message me, we need to chat.
…
Check out Katy’s original post and join the conversation on Instagram now.
The idea to try on my old clothes was an idea that came to me while I was cleaning out my closet. Again. Some of the items that I still own and wear are upwards of 5 years old. Some have been with me for longer.
My first thought was, do they still fit. After all, my body has changed over the past five years. Which is normal, FYI. I’m a thirty-eight-year-old woman now. Some of these before photos are from 2013. With that in mind, I selected items with a bit of stretch of flexibility in how I could wear them (buttoned instead of buttoned-up, for example).
Then my second thought was, do they still look GOOD after all these years. After being washed, not very carefully mind you, and worn for all these years. I have some older items that have made their way through the everyday wardrobe to the ‘around the house’ draw. Which is fine, not throwing out perfectly good clothing to landfill is something I stand behind. But, who made the cut? Let’s see, shall we?
Did you watch the video? Haha. It took a bit for me to get back into recording videos but I’m glad I did. But this video wasn’t about that. And while I’m sure, plenty of people will be kind enough to point out the differences between 30-year-old me and current me. (Oh, internet). It wasn’t about that either. It was about how if you buy quality clothing when you can afford it, it will last. How, when you get a lock on your personal style, the pieces you buy will last you a long time. It’s the figuring it out part that has taken me the most time.
We were talking about the whole wearing a dress as a top thing on Facebook this week. The blog post I wrote a while ago had made a comeback and it got me thinking; there has to be more I can do with the clothes in my wardrobe now. So, the first chance I got, in the rain and one billion percent humidity I grabbed Kel and went outside with the mission to show how this printed wedge dress (from 17 Sundays) can also be worn as a top. I even had cute hair until I went outside!
I’ve found the easiest way to pull this off, is to tuck the bottom hem of the skirt either into the waistband of the pants (or skirt) or into your bra. Then you just let it blouse over the pants or half-tuck it for a longer side look. Anyway, you get what I’m talking about. No pinning or sewing necessary, just tuck and go!
I’ve been in love with jumpsuits since I picked up a black, wide-leg one from Birdsnest (was it Birdsnest? Yup. I checked, see it here in its first blog post) years ago. No more structured, pain in the ass, impossible to get in and out of bodysuits for me. I was all about the stretch and the drape of that style of jumpsuit. And when confronted with one, would almost always add it to cart.
Like this one, it’s the best. Not only is the colour perfection (hello new hair colour) but it ticks all the other boxes. Stretchy, tick! Wide-leg pant, tick. Pull-on and off design, YUP! It’s got all the things, so it’s been on high rotation since the summer weather kicked in around here. Most useful over swimwear, it’s comfortable to wear, soft as hell, and washes like a champion. One of those pieces that I love to wear because it makes me feel good.
But what about the fact that when I sit my stomach looks rather large?
Well, firstly, it is rather large. There’s no hiding that. It’s been a festive last year or so. I think we all need to start seeing ourselves as we are. As real, rather than a distorted, perfectly angled world, we tend to see through our selfie lens. This is what I look like when I sit down; no more, no less.
And secondly, you saw the bit where I said I feel good, right?
No amount of visible stomach is going to take that away from me. Lately, I’ve been pretty hard on this body of mine. I feel like there are so many ways that it could be doing better; looking better and just BEING better. And it’s hard to live with that as the conversation in your head.
So, I’m making changes. Taking more photos from different angles and worrying less about them always being flattering. Because we all know, flattering is just code for thinner, and when you’re a size 24 every day of the week, thinner isn’t a descriptive word that applies.
Let me clarify.
This post isn’t to complain that I gained weight. Gaining weight at the drop of a hat is something my body does in response to a whole range of health factors for me. It is about challenging the idea what we all have, to varying degrees, that our bodies should be a certain way and remain that way for all time.
I’m old now then I was five years ago, thank goodness, and so is this body I call home. It’s changing and adapting to what it’s been through but so am I. This is about recognising that, accepting that, and viewing yourself as you are.
You don’t need to be anything but what you are. From now on, I’m going to remember that when I berate and degrade myself in the mirror. I owe myself that much. Now, let’s get to more pics, shall we? The shopping links, where available, are below as always.
It’s been a while since we talked about clothes, team. Even longer since I last covered off on plus size maxi dresses. When was the last time? Can anyone remember? But this felt necessary because I am wearing a bunch of maxis on rotation at the moment. For almost every occasion, it seemed important to the whole documenting things thing. It’s not a where to buy, but I’ve included as many links as I could. Most are pretty recent additions, so they’re in stock. Some, not so much. But either way, I tried.
So, why maxi dresses, right?
What’s the appeal of that?
For me, it’s a really easy way to be dressed all at once. No mess and no fuss. Whatever the occasion; backyard BBQ to kind of formal occasion, you’re all set. Add some great shoes and whatever accessories float your boat and you’ve got a whole outfit. Maxis work for those who want to wear little shorts under their dresses in summer and are even cute with ankle boots in colder months. But surely, I don’t have to tell YOU that? You’re a woman of the world, let’s get things started, shall we? (This post contains gifted items, as marked, and affiliate links)
Plus size maxi dresses I’m wearing now!
The casual maxi dresses
This is the section where you are going to be annoyed because you can’t buy the majority of them. Sorry about that. But I live in my 17 Sundays maxis* from last year, both the black and white stripe versions as well as the black and leopard print. Phew. They’re my go-to item for casual and work and if you didn’t buy one you’re insane. Sorry, that happened to you.
In rotation with that are a couple of City Chic maxi dresses. You’ve seen the blue maxi dress in my beach photos, which is sold out. BUT, don’t panic, they’ve just released it in a couple of new colours and prints and there are plenty of them in the RESORT section on their website These are such easy to wear dresses they could really be added to the nice maxis section below. But, well, they’re here.
The nice maxi dresses
These are the maxis that are more wear them out for the evening. Add sandals with a little heel or chunky wedges and you’re good for an evening out. This is such a great option for plus size women especially because they’re easy to wear, you have options on what you put under them (anti-chafe shorts or similar for example). Something like this PQ Collection dress is perfect for dinner and drinks. Trust me, I’ve done both. SO much room for dinner and drinks. Haha.
The ASOS Curve Black Maxi Tea Dress is one that I wear ALL the time but apparently have never taken a photo in it. It’s the same as the image I’ve shared below, but longer. Sorry, team. It’s still a basic black jersey fabric but the tea dress neckline and little slits at the ankle just make it a little more special than the casual maxis. It absolutely dresses up for dinner or I wear it to client jobs sometimes when I want good coverage, to be comfortable and also look like I tried a little.
My shorter version of the ASOS Curve Black Maxi Tea Dress (sorry, team)
My friend, Pip owns the website Sisu and Finn and when I started taking a few outfit photos again, she offered to send me some items to try out and keep a couple. These two Kiyonna Maxi Dresses were part of that parcel. It was my first time trying this brand and I have to say that the quality was beyond what I expected even after being told to expect them to be good.
They are beautiful to wear and look spectacular on. Special occasion coming up? These are worth a closer look. I ended up keeping the navy Meadow Dream maxi dress you’ll see below. Navy is more my colour all year round, and I felt like the neck (boob) line suited me more. Having both in my wardrobe would have been indulgent, so I was happy to send the green Vienna maxi dress (above) back to her to enjoy after taking a few photos.
Another great maxi dress for special occasions is the Embody Women (formally Embody Denim), Birkin Maxi Dress. My friend Desiree has this dress in the spot print and it is STUNNING. Such a showstopper no matter the occasion and available in a range of colours and prints to make finding something that works for you easy. My personal favourite is the current navy colour, it’s so beautiful. I think it’s pretty easy to see that come to special occasions navy is sort of my thing. Haha.
And there you go, team! A bit of a whip around my wardrobe of plus size maxi dresses. You have to agree that this is such a versatile length; especially when you go swishy and full with the skirt. Do you maxi? I hope you do, let me know about it, I’ve enabled the image upload int he comments, show me ALL the things. Otherwise, find me on Instagram, tag @sugercoatit – I can’t wait to see!
*indicates gifted items where it was weird to insert the word gifted
You know the whole concept of the CEO outfit, right? The one look that you can pull on day after day. I wrote about considering a personal uniform here, and for some of you, it was a little meh, because a) who wants to be like Mark Zuckerberg anyway. But b) we express ourselves through fashion, so why restrict yourself to wearing the same thing over and over?
Good question, team.
My thoughts are that there is a time and place for everything. When I need to get dressed be out the door, I love a uniform. When I’m dressing for myself and have the luxury of time, I choose something else. Going the whole hog on a uniform doesn’t allow for such freedom, but when you’re setting your own rules, you can do what you want. I do it to simplify my life. When I don’t need simple, I enjoy myself more because of it.
But you really can’t go past the simplicity of something like this (you know me, I switch up the black graphic tee depending on my mood). Knowing that I have a few keys pieces that I know fit well, wash and wear like champions and are comfortable come what may is something I value. For you, that might be another combination of items (I have a casual stripe maxi dress that is a bit of an alternative to this outfit).
In 2019, my uniform looks a little like this…
And that said, I’d love to hear your thoughts on all of this. What works for you? Do you have a default uniform like this or do you prefer to express yourself daily through clothes? You know what to do, add a comment below (or join us over on the Suger Coat It Facebook or on the post on Instagram).
